Cash for votes rains in Tamil Nadu, Rs.3.82 mn seized

Sunday April 03, 2011 09:30:27 PM, IANS

Chennai: It is not only freebies that are raining in Tamil Nadu ahead of the April 13 assembly elections, but also cash for votes - and a lot of it.

Giving a glimpse of the money power play in the polls, the Election Commission Sunday said a total of Rs.3.82 million was seized from various political functionaries after a single day's raid Saturday.

Flying squads comprising officials from the EC and Income Tax department have been conducting surprise checks on vehicles and other places to seize the movement of unaccounted money.

According to the EC, over Rs.1.66 million kept in 105 plastic bags was seized from the house of a panchayat chairman belonging to DMK party in Tiruvannamali district, around 185 km from here.

The money bags were kept with acquaintance slips indicating the persons to whom they were to be distributed.

The seized money has been deposited in the government treasury.

The flying squad had a rich haul in Dharmapuri district seizing Rs.1.1 million from an AIADMK functionary and Rs.990,000 from two DMK officials.

In Tirunelvelli a sum of Rs.46,500 were seized from an AIADMK official when he was trying to distribute the money to voters.

According to the EC, a sum of Rs.25,000 was seized from a person while distributing it in Tiruvannamalai town. His party affiliation is being ascertained.

The ruling DMK has been opposing vehicle checks and cash seizures saying that it puts small businessmen and others in difficulty.

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